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KARACHI: Muzaffar Iqbal, 17, tragically lost his life during a robbery in Karachi on Wednesday morning.
The incident took place in Korangi’s Janjal Pura Goth, highlighting the alarming surge in robbery-related murders in the city. This marks the third fatality in such incidents since January 1, 2025.
SSP Korangi Kamran Khan reported that the incident happened as four robbers fled the scene after looting a house at dawn.
Muzaffar, returning home after Fajr prayer, raised an alarm. In response, the robbers opened fire, killing the teenager on the spot.
The robbers had just looted a house in the victim’s neighbourhood, SSP Korangi added. Following the incident, the SHO of Zaman Town and the local checkpoint in-charge have been suspended, according to SSP Korangi.
This fatal shooting follows two other robbery resistance deaths reported earlier this month. On January 9, a citizen named Arif was shot dead during a robbery at Ghaghar Phatak in Steel Town.
Earlier, on January 3, Sahil Masih was killed by robbers in Korangi’s Zaman Town.
While Karachi has seen a gradual decrease in street crimes, incidents like these highlight ongoing challenges. Official data shows that Sindh reported a 20% reduction in crimes last year.
Notably, 77% of robbery-related murders were resolved: 98 cases of murders during robberies were recorded, resulting in the arrest of 112 suspects and the deaths of 33 others in police encounters.
Similarly, police resolved 70% of cases involving injuries during robberies. Out of 321 such incidents, 226 cases were solved, leading to 36 suspects being killed and 332 arrested.
Despite these improvements, Karachi continues to grapple with street crime and robbery resistance fatalities.
A total of 1,778 murders and 2,526 attempted murders, including injuries during snatching bids, were reported across Sindh in 2024.